With current workflow that I have there are some places where I have some rough edges where time is lost. When program code has been generated on offline workstation and when that has been moved to share directory it is not available or displayed to default user. To make it available i have to log in Expert user, then share directory is available and copying files is possible. That needs and can be changed!
User interface on pendant, buttons, commands and display settings are edited in special application called “KrcConfigurator.exe” which is used to aid in setting change that are stored in registry. Full Path for this utility is:
C:\KRC\UTIL\KRCCONFIGURATOR\KrcConfigurator.exe
In same place you can find manual where all tabs are described.
KRC Configurator folder with application and help file
So I have 2 things that i need to change: one is to make shared directory available for my default user and enable copy/paste functionality for same user. This can serve as a reference manual, I have captured my changed functionality in pictures.
Make share drive visible
Let’s start with adding network storage to default user. In Display tab you can match display levels for default user and for example Expert user. In this case we will copy of some what we have for Expert user. One that default user was missing is check mark for “NET” in Displayed volumes window. See image below.
Adding NET to displayed volumes
After applied settings here are results, network drive is available for user.
Enabled network storage volume
When that is done Share drive is available for default user, but we can not copy and paste anything yet, that has to be enabled elsewhere in different tab so let’s move to next step.
Enable Copy and Paste functionality
To enable this magic for our default user we have to go to Methods tabs, there we can do that. Steps are pretty simple and straight forward. Below are images illustrating check-boxes to be enabled. In nutshell, we have to enable copy and paste for “User” by clicking in a check-box.
Settings for Copy functionSettings for Paste function
Choose action that you want to enable and in users window click in corresponding check-box.
And now it is perfect, the shared drive is visible for the User and I am able to copy code from it to needed location. Awesome!
!!! Warning! Do not try this, as this method have bricked my robot. This can be only used only as an example. Before you are changing any advanced configuration settings on controller, make a system backup!!!
In this post I am sharing my experiences on how to add network accessible folder and details on how to do that. While I was doing all that, I have bricked robot, luckily I was able to recover back functional system;, lesson here learned before changing advanced settings you have to have a system backup.
Let me start with necessity that I had. I am working with KUKA KR210 ed2005 robot that is used for 3D milling, the current workshop at factory is as follows. After milling path is generated it has to be copied to USB flash drive, brought to robot controller, doors has to be opened USB device plugged in. Lastly to copy files to correct folder on controller it is required to change usergroup to “Expert” or “Administrator”, find mounted device and copy needed files. A lot of effort to copy program, so i have decided to improve this workflow, make it more straight. Solution here is create network accessible drive where program has to be copied once after what it is available on all devices.
Below is a schematics on desired result. In nutshell on controller we should have connected network drive to which content can be copied from KUKA controller and from offline programming workstation.
Connection schematics
Sharing folder
In my case I will be sharing created folder on KRC2 cotroller over network with permissions for only one user. Another option could be mapping drive in KUKA controller that is available externally over SMB protocol. In this case some remote “server” will be needed to which controller will be connecting.
Before we can continue with folder creation, user creation and configurations we have to know how to access Windows on pendant device.
On Pendant KUKA HMI is available all the time, but behind that Windows XP embedded is running. To access Windows user interface it is necessary to log into “Expert” and press ESC + CTRL, then Start menu will appear, if menu is not appearing check if Numpad is not activated (Num label in old on lower left corner). Buttons to be pressed to access Start menu are shown in in image below (ESC + CTRL).
Esc + Ctrl
When Start menu is available launch “Run” application and write compmgmt.msc and Computer Management window appears.
Computer Management – compmgmt.msc
Go to Local Users and Groups -> Users click “New user…” a new window opens where you can set username, description, password and other settings. This image above is representative, in KRC2 there are many other users listed.
User creation menu
I have created my folder under D:/ drive and called it “kukashare”. Then it is necessary to go to folder sharing options and share it over network.
!!! User creation is needed if it is required to limit access to the drive, in my case over the LAN network “kukashare” user will have permissions to read/write. User creation can be skipped and folder can be set available to Everyone. This can be changed at folder sharing tab in folder properties!!!
Last action would be map folder to a drive and to do that go to My Computer and go to Tools -> Map drive. Select needed drive name and click Finish. In my case i used option to use different credentials, here I used kukashare user.
OS for my controller is in German, I had some troubles finding right selections, buttons and menu.
!!!Warning!!! How I bricked my robot
Steps described here have crippled controller system, do not try this!
To enable network sharing I have launched network sharing wizard, changed workgroup name to default value “workgroup” and on overview page clicked Next after what wizard started to copy some files and I have lost control over KUKA robot, pendant keyboard stopped to work and it was not possible to launch successfully KSS software. To my delight I did not have a backup image of drive in operational state. I gained hard lesson that before tinkering with advanced settings you always have to have a backup otherwise after unsuccessful changes to the system you can make robot nonfunctional.
Key point here: Do not launch Networking wizard as it is changeling something to the system and it can stops working. KRC2 controller has 2 network adapters one is integrated Intel adapter (which I am intending to connect to LAN) and other VixWin adapter which is driving shared memory functionality for real time system to work.
I have no way of testing that but correct way should be just enable network sharing with out Network Wizard. Here is video on how that should be done, probably. Have to tested if this does not brick KRC2 controller as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8ADSDC20YE
After I bricked KUKA controler.
When I did that, I learned importance of the system image, if I had one i could recover system to operational state easily. Backup activity was planned sometime in future after all configurations were in place.
But before I was going to modify anything further I was determined to make a system image, create a duplicate and then try recovering system on an image not on original drive.
After search on internet for backup software found Clonezilla and open source drive cloning software. First I tried with installed application on Ubuntu system, but that was unsuccessful. After that I created a Live USB with Clonezilla and then was able to make a backup easily. Clonezilla interface is easy to understand, notes are available on every screen, nut you have to be very careful, because if you mix drives then you can erase wrong drive so be very careful and read all notes to be sure.
Cloned disk connected to PC
It is not easy to find ATA HDD drives, luckily I had one old PC which had 40 GB drive. For image creation I was using newer system with no IDE 40pin bus, to make a connection with motherboard i was using adapter for SATA controllers.
With a cloned drive I was more confident with trying different things, and first thing that I tried was reinstalling KSS which is available in D:/ drive folder. Went through all the steps and after software was installed, system rebooted and it started KUKA HMI with a functional system. I have not lost calibration after these steps.
Conclusion
Have successful improved workflow, now it is much easier and quicker to load new program and learned valuable lesson about backups.
Experimentations 